Guterres urges stronger global safeguards as AI risks take centre stage

New York, United States. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence poses risks that cannot be ignored, calling for stronger global oversight. His position contrasts with President Donald Trump’s assertion that existing U.S. safeguards are sufficient.

AI to feature in leaders’ talks

Speaking ahead of next week’s U.N. General Assembly gathering in New York, Guterres said stronger AI oversight would be a major focus of his discussions with visiting world leaders.

“We cannot afford to ignore concerns that have been raised, especially by those on the front lines of the development of AI,” Guterres told reporters. “It’s the first responsibility of any government to protect its citizens – including from the threats of artificial intelligence.”

Growing concerns within the industry

Public concern about AI’s potential dangers has increased after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon said last week that he had resigned partly because “people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.”

Leaders of some of the industry’s largest companies have also called for a slower pace of development.

Trump said on Monday that the United States already has guardrails to regulate and prosecute AI companies, playing down concerns raised by industry leaders. He has said that China would benefit from doubts cast on AI development.

U.N. governance efforts

Guterres has long advocated global governance of AI. In 2023, the United Nations established a 39-member advisory body on artificial intelligence, including technology company executives, government officials and academics from countries including the United States, Russia and Japan.

Diplomats said the 15-member U.N. Security Council may also meet next week to discuss AI during the annual gathering of world leaders in New York. The council first met on artificial intelligence in 2023.

Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week in Washington. Reuters previously reported that the two countries were planning a separate mid-September meeting, led by lower-level government officials, to discuss AI risks.

“We need a shared understanding of how to advance the safe, secure and responsible development of AI – while identifying when increasingly powerful systems may require stronger safeguards, or additional measures to manage potential risks,” Guterres said.